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Any guys having problems bulking up? I am haha

Posts: 118
edited February 22 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I am 5'10", currently weight 179lbs but want to get to a lean 190lbs, I will even settle for a very lean 185 haha. I am consuming about 3,000 calories a day and I still seem to be burning fat. I started at 2,500 and have slowly increased the calories with the help of my trainer but I only seem to get stronger and not bigger :(

Just venting I guess lol

anybody else on the same boat?

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  • Posts: 5,778 Member
    Got to eat more.

    I think I will be in the same boat come August.....I plan to try and get some weight on my frame
  • Posts: 12,294 Member
    To get to a lean 190 you may want to bulk to 200-205 then cut down to 190. I don't gain too easily, each bulk cut cycle I only add about 2-3 lbs of muscle, pretty slow but I am cool with it.
  • Posts: 1,238 Member
    Got to eat more.

    ^^This.
  • Posts: 487 Member
    Ive been increasing my calories by 200 weekly. I cut calories too low during my bulk. Sometimes I gain 1 pound of water from one day to another then it starts decreasing slow. Im eating 3200 and Im going to bump it up to 3500 in two days.

    If you are new to lifting make sure you gain a pound a week.

    If you've been training for 2 years already then I recommend you to gain 0.5 per week.

    Good luck.
  • Posts: 1,593 Member
    I am 5'10", currently weight 179lbs but want to get to a lean 190lbs, I will even settle for a very lean 185 haha. I am consuming about 3,000 calories a day and I still seem to be burning fat. I started at 2,500 and have slowly increased the calories with the help of my trainer but I only seem to get stronger and not bigger :(

    Just venting I guess lol

    anybody else on the same boat?

    so jealous.. being 5'10" and stuck at 145-150 lbs your exactly where I wish I was right now...
  • Posts: 118
    I have been slowly eating more calories per week (about 150 per week), but my weight is stable at 179 right now. I have been at that for 2 weeks, it seems that my body likes that weight, it just gets leaner. I have been training seriously for about 2 yrs.

    It is just difficult to eat more, I already feel like a eat a lot, guess I will have to add some shakes. Thanks for the responses guys, I will be sending FR if you don't mind to see how you are all doing.
  • Posts: 118
    show previous quotes

    so jealous.. being 5'10" and stuck at 145-150 lbs your exactly where I wish I was right now...


    Hang in there bro, you can do it, just be consistent and work hard.

    I started at a kind of fit 191 down to a 177lbs and have only added 2lbs in about 6 weeks.
  • Posts: 5,778 Member
    2 weeks is to early.

    Keep adding in calories till you find your sweet spot.....
  • Posts: 24 Member
    There is no need to increase any fat weight with adding muscle weight.
    Increase your protein ratio in your cals, and make sure your training is periodized to your specific goals.
  • Posts: 118
    2 weeks is to early.

    Keep adding in calories till you find your sweet spot.....

    I will, I just don't want to lose too much definition in the process (I live in San Diego, it's summer all year haha), my goal is a 185 as lean as you man haha

    you are looking ripped!
  • Posts: 1,593 Member
    show previous quotes


    Hang in there bro, you can do it, just be consistent and work hard.

    I started at a kind of fit 191 down to a 177lbs and have only added 2lbs in about 6 weeks.

    Question, not to troll your thread but being the same height and similar build - what size is your waist at a lean 177-180 lbs?
  • Posts: 1,238 Member
    I have been slowly eating more calories per week (about 150 per week), but my weight is stable at 179 right now. I have been at that for 2 weeks, it seems that my body likes that weight, it just gets leaner. I have been training seriously for about 2 yrs.

    It is just difficult to eat more, I already feel like a eat a lot, guess I will have to add some shakes. Thanks for the responses guys, I will be sending FR if you don't mind to see how you are all doing.

    Agree - 2 weeks is too early. Wait at least four before bumping up calories again.
  • Posts: 12,294 Member
    There is no need to increase any fat weight with adding muscle weight.
    Increase your protein ratio in your cals, and make sure your training is periodized to your specific goals.

    Well if that is the case you should go into bodybuilding and you will win... they all gain fat when bulking, it happens, no way to gain 100% of weight from muscle, or all those world strongmen guys would be ripped.
  • Posts: 118
    show previous quotes

    Question, not to troll your thread but being the same height and similar build - what size is your waist at a lean 177-180 lbs?

    No worries haha, I check my waist every morning because I am OCD haha, it stays around 33-33.5in

    thanks @_freckles_ will keep that in mind
  • Posts: 341 Member
    So you have already gained 33 lbs of solid muscle (interpreting your profile)? If so its going to take you a while to legitimately gain the last 11 lbs that you are talking about.
  • Posts: 487 Member
    show previous quotes

    Well if that is the case you should go into bodybuilding and you will win... they all gain fat when bulking, it happens, no way to gain 100% of weight from muscle, or all those world strongmen guys would be ripped.

    I would say you're right but gaining more than 1 pound a week specially if you've been training for more than 2 years is too much. You will gain more fat than muscle at that point.
  • Posts: 267 Member
    I have not bulked. I'm still cutting and for the first time in my life. But it seems to me that your answered your own question. If your still losing fat your not bulking.
    I know I'd have a hard time with it after working so hard to limit my intake, but it sounds like you need to eat more.
  • Posts: 2,037 Member
    Not a guy, but I do sometimes pretend. I'm living with a guy on a bulk and in charge of pretty much everything he eats. You need to eat more than 3000 calories to continue to progress.

    Taking your age into account and the success you have had in the past, you may have already had your period of optimum gain. Your bulk from here on out needs to be long and slow. Don't put a time limit on it, but do watch the body fat percent. If it starts to look like you're gaining too much body fat, cut back a little on the calories.

    Some of the other sites more concentrated on bodybuilding have had several impressive success stories of guys who bulked for 2+ years and gained about 40 pounds in the process. Just keep it up.
  • Posts: 118
    So you have already gained 33 lbs of solid muscle (interpreting your profile)? If so its going to take you a while to legitimately gain the last 11 lbs that you are talking about.

    I once was at a fat 210, went down to 191 on my own. I have been working with a trainer for 14 weeks now and went to a lean 177. In the past 6 weeks I have gained 2 lbs.
  • Posts: 9,097 Member
    There is no need to increase any fat weight with adding muscle weight.
    Increase your protein ratio in your cals, and make sure your training is periodized to your specific goals.

    Nearly impossible at least from the majority of people wanting to bulk.

    Answer to OP: Get those calories up. I'm 6'3" and usually cut down to 205-209 range and bulk up to 225 depending on how much fat I gain. Get your protein and fats filled up on your macros, and a good way to bulk if you can drink milk like its water.
  • Posts: 17,525 Member
    show previous quotes

    I will, I just don't want to lose too much definition in the process (I live in San Diego, it's summer all year haha), my goal is a 185 as lean as you man haha

    you are looking ripped!

    get over it.

    seriously.
    just bulk- and then cut. Bulk's come with fat gain- trying to put a cap and really minimize the fat gain is like saying you want to run a 5K in one sneaker and one stiletto- it's nonsensical and counter productive.

    You're making this process so much harder by going through a "long lean bulk"

    just eat more- lift all the things. and go for it.

    3000 isn't enough for a guy bulking. It should be higher- eat more- whatever it takes- but if you aren't seeing gains- it's because you aren't eating enough.
  • Posts: 118
    show previous quotes

    Nearly impossible at least from the majority of people wanting to bulk.

    Answer to OP: Get those calories up. I'm 6'3" and usually cut down to 205-209 range and bulk up to 225 depending on how much fat I gain. Get your protein and fats filled up on your macros, and a good way to bulk if you can drink milk like its water.


    Thanks man, I love milk, I'll drink half a gallon a day.

    @JoRocka I am not really in a hurry to gain weight. I agree with you to an extent, I need to be eating more because I am burning a lot and I don't have that surplus. But like I said, I am not in a hurry, even if I could gain 1/4 of a pound a week I am ok. I am getting stronger, so I know I am not losing muscle which is always good :)
  • Posts: 396 Member
    Used to have the same problem. For me the solution was peanut butter, or almond/cashew/hazelnut butter if you're allergic to peanuts. Eating 1 spoonful of peanut butter per meal can give you an additional +500 calories a day and you don't have to change your lifestyle or schedule.

    Another option is olive oil. Liberally toss it on anything you eat. Put it in your shakes, pancake mix, on your noodles, in your rice, over your vegetables...it goes well with just about anything. It's about 80-120 calories of healthy fat per tablespoon.
  • Posts: 5,778 Member
    show previous quotes

    I will, I just don't want to lose too much definition in the process (I live in San Diego, it's summer all year haha), my goal is a 185 as lean as you man haha

    you are looking ripped!

    But weight wise, I am very small.
    6'1" @ 168 lbs.
  • Posts: 21 Member
    carbs are nonessential
    a caloric surplus is what is needed to promote muscle growth
  • Posts: 1,945 Member
    carbs are nonessential
    a caloric surplus is what is needed to promote muscle growth

    Would you care to expand on this? You've already had some of the fittest and hottest body builders to walk the planet disagree with you, but maybe there's a reason you couldn't read the other thread properly....
  • Posts: 1,945 Member
    There is no need to increase any fat weight with adding muscle weight.
    Increase your protein ratio in your cals, and make sure your training is periodized to your specific goals.

    I think we are ALL in agreement that some fat gain is unavoidable. But you can minimize it if you have worked out your numbers right and are super diligent.
  • Posts: 1,945 Member
    I am 5'10", currently weight 179lbs but want to get to a lean 190lbs, I will even settle for a very lean 185 haha. I am consuming about 3,000 calories a day and I still seem to be burning fat. I started at 2,500 and have slowly increased the calories with the help of my trainer but I only seem to get stronger and not bigger :(

    Just venting I guess lol

    anybody else on the same boat?

    You should be right on track unless.......you're doing cardio right? Or tracking food wrong(overestimating).

    Cardio complicates the bulking procedure by stopping the repair in between the 3 lifting days (you're doing 3x pw full body yes?)

    You must eat all the exercise calories back, and they can quite often screw with the numbers if they are wrong(the MFP ones are).
  • Posts: 1,544 Member
    Could I see some more pics from you guys so I can better evaluate? :bigsmile:
  • Posts: 400 Member
    You're almost 6 feet and you're bulking at 3,000? OP, just enjoy the bulk and eat! :)
    You need much more than that. Try increasing it slowly. I increase mine 100-200 cals every other month of so. I'm at 2,500 now and I'm 5'2" with less muscle than you.
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